Klobuchar, Franken sign letter to fight postal cuts

U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Al Franken and 25 other senators are urging their colleagues to protect rural postal service in Minnesota and across the country.

"Everyone understands that the Postal Service is in the midst of a serious financial crisis that must be addressed. But, we believe that this financial crisis can be solved in a way that does not substantially slow down the delivery of mail and harm rural America," the senators wrote in their letter to Senate leadership."Over the long-term, we believe that the Postal Service must develop a new business model for it to succeed in the 21st Century, just like virtually every other postal service in the industrialized world has already done."

The group of senators, all Democrats, sent a letter to leaders of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security.

In December, the senators helped convince the Postmaster General to institute a moratorium on the closing of post offices and processing facilities, protecting service for rural customers until Congress can move forward with legislation to address the financial struggles of the United States Postal Service.

In January, Star Tribune writer Kim Ode examined how closing a post office in the tiny town of Hope, Minn. (population: 90), would affect life there. "It's one of about 100 small towns in Minnesota, and about 3,700 towns nationwide, that may lose their post offices as the U.S. Postal Service tries to balance its budget," Ode wrote.